UniPID and FSDR recognize Johanna Pajula’s thesis as the winner of the Master's Award in Development Studies 2024
The UniPID Master’s Award in Development Studies 2024 was presented during the Development Days Conference reception in Helsinki. This year’s winner, Johanna Katariina Pajula from Tampere University, was recognized for her excellent thesis on social protection in humanitarian crises in Africa.
Each year, UniPID and the Finnish Society for Development Research (FSDR) hand out the Master’s Award in Development Studies to recognize outstanding theses related to the field of global development studies. The award promotes interdisciplinary research conducted at UniPID member universities, encouraging academic excellence and critical engagement with pressing global challenges.
On February 27, 2025, the UniPID Master’s Award in Development Studies 2024 was presented during the Development Days 2025 conference reception hosted by the City of Helsinki. This year, Johanna Katariina Pajula from Tampere University was awarded for her thesis “Contribution of Social Protection to Resilience and Well-being in Humanitarian Crises in Africa: A Qualitative Study on Expert Opinions”.
The evaluation committee highlighted in Pajula’s work the strong theoretical framework, depth of expert interviews, and the systematic mapping of the field, making it a valuable contribution to development research.
In the context of contemporary global "polycrisis" [Pajula’s] thesis ably addresses an enduring problem in development policy and practice, i.e. how best to respond to the needs of the most vulnerable and marginalised through combinations of social protection systems and humanitarian assistance. Barry Gills, member of the final evaluation committee, highlighted.
Highlights from the ceremony
The Master’s Award ceremony featured remarks from Kaisa Kurki, UniPID’s director, who introduced the award and outlined the evaluation process. Liisa Laakso, chair of the final evaluation committee, then announced the honorary mentions for the five finalist theses and revealed the winner of this year’s award.
From left to right: Shalvi Sinha, Karoliina Himanen, Alice Alexis Chunga, Johanna Katariina Pajula, Marina Caregnato Garcia, Anja Onali, Barry Gills, and Liisa Laakso.
Finally, Johanna Pajula, this year’s award recipient, expressed her gratitude and reflected on the key findings of her research. Pajula emphasized that strengthening systems before crises occur, fostering collaboration between various actors, and ensuring the inclusion of vulnerable and marginalized populations are essential for resilience and long-term development. Pajula also shared her personal journey in developing the thesis, underscoring its profound impact on her academic path.
I am the first in my family to start a PhD, and I hope that my journey can inspire others to pursue their dreams, no matter how distant or challenging they may seem. Johanna Pajula.
The Master’s Award in Development Studies 2024 evaluation process, in a nutshell
The evaluation process for the Master’s Award in Development Studies 2024 was conducted in two stages. The first stage of the evaluation was carried out by a pre-selection committee composed of 11 members of UniPID DocNet, who carefully reviewed the 27 submitted theses. We extend our sincere gratitude to the dedicated members of the pre-selection committee for their invaluable work: Judith Kahamba, Ida Herdieckerhoff, Raihanatul Jannat, Stefan Reindl, Taiwo Bamgboye, Saeed Ahmad, Suvi Baloch, Emilio del Pupo, Benta Mbare, Harris Andoh, and Yohannes Mehari.
After an intensive assessment, the committee shortlisted six finalists, recognizing their exceptional academic contributions and societal impact.
In the final stage, an esteemed evaluation committee, consisting of Liisa Laakso, Barry Gills, and Anja Onali, carefully assessed the 6 finalist theses based on scientific relevance, methodological rigor, and societal impact. The committee highlighted the overall remarkable quality of the submissions, emphasizing the innovative approaches and the critical perspectives brought forward by the candidates.
After deliberation, the committee selected Johanna Katariina Pajula as the recipient of the 2024 Master’s Award in Development Studies for her outstanding research, and decided to award honorary mentions to the following theses, which made it to the final stage of evaluation:
|
Name |
University |
Thesis title |
|
Karoliina Himanen |
Tampere University |
Female Genital Mutilation (FGM/C) Related Lower Urinary Tract Symptoms and Humanitarian Health Work: A Qualitative Study on Expert Views |
|
Alice Alexis Chunga |
Åbo Akademi University |
Broken Sisterhood: Investigating Social Exclusion of Black African Feminist Women in the White Finnish Feminist Movement |
|
Shalvi Sinha |
University of Jyväskylä |
Contextualising Health Agency – Exploration of Narratives from Marginalised Women in Varanasi, India |
|
Marina Caregnato Garcia |
Aalto University |
Does Speaking Order Matter for Equality of Participation During Meetings? Results from Experiments with Malawian Farmers |
|
Albina Marchenko |
University of Oulu |
“Proving Never Ends”: Foreign Origin and its Impact on International Students’ Well-being Behind Internationalization of Higher Education |
UniPID extends heartfelt congratulations to the winner and finalists and expresses gratitude to all participants, evaluators, and our member universities involved in this year’s competition.
What’s next? The call for applications for the Master’s Award 2025 will open in late spring, stay tuned for more details! In the meantime, you can explore more about past winners here: https://www.unipid.fi/for-society/masters-award/
Photo credits: Jason Leung, 2017 on UnSplash
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